Actors' talks update: SAG negotiations end with no deal, focus now on AFTRA

After three weeks of "insufficient progress" negotiating with the Screen Actors Guild, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced that it will turn its attention to the other actors union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, starting today. The goal will be to hammer out a new primetime contract for AFTRA-covered shows like Rules of Engagement, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 'Til Death, among others — and, ultimately, to avoid another debilitating Hollywood strike like the writers' walkout that ended in February. The contracts for both SAG and AFTRA expire June 30.

Hugh Laurie 'stars' in Writers Give Back event

Turns out, Hollywood's writers' strike had at least one upside: It inspired a few writers to be a little more selfless. The organization Writers Give Back, founded during the strike by producer Brian Pines, is now seeking to help people in need and writers in need, often at the same time. Based in Los Angeles, WGB is staging table readings of unproduced screenplays — asking stars to donate their time to play the roles — and then finding creative ways to turn the events into fund-raisers. First out of the gate: House star Hugh Laurie, Ugly Betty star Chris Gorham, and others will perform a table read of Pines' own screenplay, the romantic comedy Now in Paperback, at the Actors Gang Theater in Culver City on Monday, May 5. The event is by invitation to industry insiders only, and guests are asked to bring at least one book as the price of admission. All books will be donated to the children's literacy organization, First Book. And here's the best part: If the screenplay is sold, the writer will donate a percentage of the sale to First Book, too. "We already give 10 percent to our agent, 15 percent to our manager and 5 percent to our lawyers," Pines says. "Why shouldn't we give a percentage to the world at large?"

The SAG/AFTRA divorce: What went wrong, and what's next?

Talk about a big week for union news. First, on March 29, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced it would be ending its 27-year-old joint bargaining relationship with the Screen Actor’s Guild ahead of upcoming contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (the current contracts expire June 30). Tensions between the two unions had been mounting over the past year, and just when it seemed like the two sides were making nice came the straw that broke the camel’s back: AFTRA’s claim that SAG was attempting to poach its Bold and the Beautiful actors. It’s unclear exactly how it all went down -- historically, AFTRA has negotiated contracts for daytime dramas — but it’s safe to say that the bargaining partnership, known as Phase One, fell apart over a deep-seeded fight over jurisdiction.

SAG’s version of the story, as told to EW.com by SAG president Alan Rosenberg on April 31, puts the blame on AFTRA. “I really thought [AFTRA] would [at] the last minute find some flimsy excuse -- which this Bold and the Beautiful thing is -- to end this relationship," Rosenberg said. "And if it hadn’t happened now it would have happened a week or two into negotiations, I’m convinced. Their goal all along has been to be separated from us so they can compete with us. It was despicable.”

Meanwhile, AFTRA president Roberta Reardon has a different version of the story. “Actually, the Bold and the Beautiful event had significant impact, but really, it was the culmination of what we saw as a year-long campaign from the Screen Actor’s Guild Hollywood leadership to defame AFTRA," Reardon said. She added, "Frankly, I’m kind of surprised by the reaction from the Screen Actor’s Guild since it’s clear that for a year they were trying to get out of Phase One. So now, all of a sudden we’re the bad guys for saying, 'You lied to us, we’re leaving.' It’s been very disingenuous to say the least.”

Three days later after AFTRA said it was ending the joint bargaining arrangement, SAG announced that it would go into negotiations with producers on April 15. Given that SAG represents more of the actors affected by these contracts, no one was too surprised that they'd go first, and even Reardon was okay with that. “If the Screen Actor’s Guild [was] going to wait until mid-May then we were definitely going to go in ahead of them, but if they were going to pick up the challenge and go -- great," she said. "I’m happy they’re doing it. That serves all actors.” Twenty-four hours after that, AFTRA said it would begin its talks on April 28.

'My Name Is Earl' to return with guest star... Jeff Zucker

Your show is back after a three-month strike and you need to catch the audience up. Solution: Make your boss do it! My Name Is Earl exec producer Greg Garcia tapped NBC Universal head Jeff Zucker to film a recap of the Jason Lee comedy for the April 3 episode. Zucker signed on immediately — "We take a steam bath together every night, so I pitched it to him there at Hollywood Saunas," Garcia deadpans — and embraced the spirit of the 90-second introductory bit, in which he cracks wise and even signs off with a "JZ out." Garcia jokes that the Zucker cameo was "a healing gesture between the writers and conglomerates," though it carried risks. "You fear the worst: 'What if you go to your big boss' place and shoot him and he's just awful?'" he explains. "But he nailed it! And I don't just say that because he's my boss."

'Ugly Betty': Plans for musical episode and Lindsay Lohan cameo on hold

As Ugly Betty showrunner Silvio Horta gets his, er, show running in the wake of the recently concluded writers strike, some previously reported developments for this season have been postponed, a result of having to cut the number of episodes left through May to just five. "We're not doing a musical episode," Horta tells EW.com. "We want to do one, and I think it's a natural thing for the show, but not right now. Hopefully, next year." And although reports that Lindsay Lohan was in talks last November to guest star on the series were accurate, Horta says "it won't likely be this season.... We love Lindsay and hope to work with her in the future, though when or in what capacity remains to be seen."

CBS announces return dates for shows

Now that the labor dispute has been resolved and the writers are back at work today, CBS announced the return dates, as well as how many episodes viewers can expect, for new and returning shows. They are: How I Met Your Mother (March 17, nine episodes); Big Bang Theory (March 17, nine), Two and A Half Men (March 17, nine) CSI: Miami (March 24, eight); Cold Case (March 30, five); Criminal Minds (April 2, seven); CSI: NY (April 2, seven); CSI (April 3, six); Without a Trace (April 3, six); Ghost Whisperer (April 4, six); Numb3rs (April 4, six); NCIS (April 8, seven); Moonlight (April 11, four); and Rules of Engagement (April 14, six). CBS also announced that The Unit, Cane, and Shark are on hiatus to make way for the return of Big Brother and Jericho and the debut of Dexter. 

Check out EW.com's full calendar of returning TV shows across all networks.

WGA vote ends strike and sends writers back to work

The strike is officially over. On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guild of America voted to officially end their three-month-old strike, which began on Nov. 5; 92.5 percent of all votes cast were in favor of terminating the walkout, and writers are expected to return to work on Wednesday. Members will next vote by mail and at membership meetings on Feb. 25 to ratify their tentative three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

"Our membership has voted, and writers can go back to work," WGA West president Patric Verrone announced at a Beverly Hills press conference. "This was not a strike we wanted, but one we had to conduct in order to win jurisdiction and establish appropriate residuals for writing in new media and on the Internet. Those advances now give us a foothold in the digital age. Rather than being shut out of the future of content creation and delivery, writers will lead the way as TV migrates to the Internet and platforms for new media are developed."

A joint statement signed by the Hollywood CEOs was also released. "This is a day of relief and optimism for everyone in the entertainment industry," it said. "We can now all get back to work, with the assurance that we have concluded two groundbreaking labor agreements — with our directors and writers — that establish a partnership through which our business can grow and prosper in the new digital age."

Actors' unions finding their way to a united front

In recent weeks, it has seemed like the relationship between the Screen Actor’s Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists — the actor's unions which have contracts that will be up soon — was on the verge of combusting. Then, last weekend, as one inside source puts it: “[SAG] saw the light.”

As mentioned in an EW.com story Q&A last week, SAG and AFTRA have a history of joint bargaining with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the entity with which both unions have contracts that will expire June 30. The thinking was that by going in together the two unions would have more leverage at the bargaining table with the producers. Since then, there’s been a bit of a tug of war between AFTRA and SAG over which has jurisdiction over what (the former covers more taped TV shows than anything else). But they've managed to maintain a partnership, which grants each union a 50 percent representation on the negotiating committee — even though the AFTRA contracts bring in less money overall. Still, in the last year or so the Hollywood contingent of SAG has started grumbling about the 50/50 split on the committee.                  

WGA members to vote Tuesday on ending strike

All signs seem to indicate that the writers' strike is about to end, but there are a few minor details that need to be hashed out — namely, a vote by the WGA membership to approve the proposed contract with the AMPTP. That will happen Tuesday when writers cast ballots at meetings in New York and Los Angeles, according to Writer's Guild prez Patric Verrone, who held a press conference today. He went out of his way to thank Disney president and CEO Bob Iger and Fox head Peter Chernin, "whose leadership was instrumental in reaching this agreement."

In an email message to members, Verrone got more technical, detailing the process to come. "There is, however, another issue to address: whether to lift the restraining order, and end the strike, during the ratification process," he wrote. "We are asking the members to decide this issue [during the Tuesday vote]. A yes vote means you are voting to end the strike immediately; a no vote means you are voting to continue the strike during the ratification process [which will take 10 to 12 days]." The vote on the strike will be separate from ratification of the contract. The former will be held 2 to 6 pm Pacific time Tuesday (writers in New York will have to fax theirs in) — the results of which will be announced that night. Until then, all picketing will be suspended. In the meantime, writer-producers who serve as showrunners can resume their producer duties on Monday. If the WGA membership votes to lift the strike, all writers are expected to return to work Wednesday.

Is the strike over?: New WGA deal met with applause in L.A.

Writers packed the Shrine Auditorium in downtown L.A. tonight, where Writers Guild of America West President Patric Verrone and chief negotiator David Young received standing ovations for drafting a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. According to one veteran TV writer present, Verrone and Young "strongly recommended" the proposed deal to the crowd. The WGA leadership told members that it would reconvene on Sunday, Feb. 10, to officially sign off on the deal and call off the picketing. The 10,000-plus WGA members will vote over the next 48 hours in an expedited process, according to some who were present, which means writers won't officially back on the job Monday. Regardless, the deal puts the end of the strike within reach. "Clearly, it's going to pass," said the veteran TV writer who attended tonight's announcement. "The feeling was, 'Get this thing done.'" After hearing the specifics of the deal, many writers began to leave before Verrone, Young and other leaders fielded questions from members. As reported earlier today by EW.com, the tentative deal offers writers some share in profits for content streamed and downloaded from the Internet, so long as that content is not purely promotional. Full details of the deal can be found here. If approved by the membership, the deal should also allow the 80th Academy Awards to go on as scheduled -- stars and all -- on Feb. 24.

The only downbeat moment of the evening came when negotiating committee chairman John Bowman mentioned the so-called "cabal" of 30 writers who threatened to cross picket lines recently if the WGA and the AMPTP didn't make a deal swiftly. When Bowman declared he was not influenced by this dissident group, the crowd applauded. The room also gave a standing ovation to the Screen Actors Guild for showing solidarity during the three-month labor dispute.

Tentative deal: Inside the WGA East meeting

The first of two meetings held today by Writers Guild of America leaders, presenting to striking WGA members the terms of a tentative deal they ironed out with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, ended on a upbeat note, according to an insider.

A late-night show writer and Guild member who attended the WGA East meeting, held in New York at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, told EW.com that the presentation was received well, describing a ''mostly positive vibe in the room'' and support for the WGA leaders and negotiators. According to the late-night writer, members seemed to ''recognize the warts of the deal but also found it a significant achievement.'' As EW.com reported earlier today, the tentative deal offers writers some share in profits for content streamed and downloaded from the Internet, so long as that content is not purely promotional. (For more details, click here.)

Most of the questions during the Q&A portion of the meeting, the late-night writer said, had to do with clarifying the mechanics of the proposed contract -- WGA members only received details of the tentative agreement via e-mail at 3 a.m. ET Saturday morning.

A WGA West meeting will be held tonight in Los Angeles. The date of an official WGA vote to ratify the contract and end the three-month strike has yet to be determined.

Writers and producers reach tentative deal

According to the Writers Guild of America website, the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have ironed out the details of a tentative deal. The next step toward ending the writers' strike: The Guild's board will present the terms to its membership today, followed by an official vote to ratify the contract. Some of the details of the tentative deal:

-- In the third year of the contract, writers will receive 2 percent of distributor's gross receipts for ad-supported streaming of television after a promotional window.

-- On permanent downloads, writers will get .36 percent of distributor's gross receipts for the first 100,000 downloads of a television program and the first 50,000 of a feature film. After that, pay is increased to .7 percent and .65 percent, respectively.

-- The agreement defines what promotional use is. In a nutshell, clips can be "used without payment to promote theatrical, television or new media exhibition if the clip contains 'tune-in,' rental or purchase information." But writers do get paid for the use of clips if the "primary purpose of the exhibition is to permit viewing of archived clips," as on, say, www.thedailyshow.com.

-- Networks will consult the showrunner when a commercial product is to be integrated into the storyline of an episode of a dramatic series. (This has been somewhat of an important issue for the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild, as they have taken the issue up with the FCC in recent months.)

In an e-mail sent to Guild members, WGA West president Patric A. Verrone and WGA East president Michael Winship acknowledged that while the tentative deal ''is neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve,'' it ''establishes the principle that, 'When they get paid, we get paid.''' In their e-mail, Verrone and Winship also urged WGA members to vote to ratify the contract and end the four-month strike: ''An ongoing struggle against seven, multinational media conglomerates, no matter how successful, is exhausting, taking an enormous personal toll on our members and countless others.  As such, we believe that continuing to strike now will not bring sufficient gains to outweigh the potential risks and that the time has come to accept this contract and settle the strike.''

A spokesperson for the AMPTP had no immediate comment on the tentative deal.

Click here for a summary of the tentative deal's terms, and stay tuned for more on EW.com...

WGA strike could be ending, but Hollywood isn't out of the woods yet

While hopes are high that the writers strike is in its final throes, there's still a long haul ahead. Speculation has been mounting this week that the Writers Guild of America will meet with members on Saturday to present terms of a potential deal as a sort of taste testing (check in with EW.com this weekend for updates). If that presentation goes over well, the WGA board will most likely recommend the deal’s ratification next week and ask members to vote on it.

But then, just when you thought you were out of TV purgatory, the Screen Actors Guild and its bargaining partner, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), will begin negotiating their contracts with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The thorny issues at stake? New media (of course), DVD residuals, and SAG's volatile relationship with AFTRA. We're going to go out on a limb and say it's not going to be pretty. To break things down, we spoke to Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney for TroyGould and a former associate counsel for the WGA, about what’s come to pass and what’s yet to be.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Do you think there will be any problems with ratifying the contract once the WGA board gives its stamp of approval?
JONATHAN HANDEL: It depends on whether there's a sharply split board or not. If you do get a sharp split, then you may see a less-than-overwhelming ratification. I would think, given the details that are emerging, that this contract will get ratified.

Last day of WGA picketing?

The WGA has notified its membership in Los Angeles via its website that picketing will resume outside of NBC in Burbank today -- but it could be for the last time. There's a strong belief among many writers that the negotiating committee will call for a membership vote on the latest draft proposal at tomorrow's mammoth meetings planned for L.A. and New York, which could finally bring an end to the labor dispute that has cost thousands of jobs and over $1 billion to the Los Angeles economy. If the membership signs off on the deal that was hammered out a week ago by key moguls and the WGA's top brass, the union can immediately call an end to the strike and potentially give the greenlight for work to resume as early as Monday.

How much longer before we get new 'Heroes?'

When we last left Hiro Nakamura and the rest of the super-powered crew of NBC’s Heroes, they had barely saved the world from global pandemic — and had barely survived the barbs from fans and critics alike for an ill-considered start to the show’s strike-shortened second season. (Maya and Alejandro? Shudder.) But those who were looking forward to seeing Heroes prove itself anew might have to wait a little longer. According to executive producer Tim Kring, even if his creative team went back to work ASAP — and assuming that NBC still plans to wrap its TV season at the end of May as usual — Team Heroes would only be able to complete three more (quality) episodes. Why so few? Blame the show’s sprawling scope and complicated F/X (that fantastical time-stopping stuff takes actual time, you know). Moreover, Kring & Co. had been hoping to redeem the show’s shaky second season with a new “volume” of stories (titled “Villains”) that would have basically rebooted the series. But when the strike began in November, they had just begun plotting the comeback. In fact, the first episode of that arc, which they wanted to play like a season premiere, hadn’t been fully written. All things considered, Kring would rather relaunch Heroes when he has more episodes to play with. If NBC extends its strike-screwed season into June, that could happen sooner. If not, he’d rather wait, perhaps till fall. “To come back with just three episodes could be creatively dangerous,” says Kring. “But that’s my personal opinion. I’m not sure where the network stands in the matter. Hopefully we’ll hear that in a few days." — Jeff Jensen

WGA to membership: No deal yet

While rumors continued to swirl in Hollywood that both the Writers Guild of America leadership and the conglomerates had hammered out a tentative deal, WGA Negotiating Committee Chairman John F. Bowman sent an email to members late Monday that was obtained by EW.com. "While we have made important progress since the companies re-engaged us in serious talks, negotiations continue," he said. "Regardless of what you may hear or read, there are many significant points that have yet to be worked out."

As a result, the guild is scheduling informational meetings on both coasts this weekend to update the membership. Bowman said neither the negotiating committee, nor the WGA councils on either coast, will take action on the proposed contract until after these meetings.

Picketing is scheduled to continue this week in front of all the major studios and networks.

Could the writers' strike be over soon?

Good news from the picket lines? A source close to the negotiations says a tentative deal has been reached between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. A meeting is scheduled for Monday to tie up the final details. Both sides have been conducting informal negotiations under a shroud of secrecy for several days so their chief negotiators could finally bring an end to the ongoing labor dispute, now in its third month. There's been a press blackout on the talks, though the WGA has continued to announce interim deals with Hollywood independent producers.

The WGA has not publicly commented on the latest developments. In fact, on Sunday EW obtained an e-mail sent to the writers by WGA West president Patric Verrone and WGA East president Michael Winship, urging the membership to "disregard rumors about either the existence of an agreement or its terms."

"We are still in talks and do not yet have a contract," the e-mail continues. "When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership." Verrone also said that picketing will resume Monday. 

Joint WGA, AMPTP announcement: Talks to resume on Wednesday

Well, it looks like something may have been accomplished with today's informal talks between key moguls and Writers Guild of America power players. The WGA not only withdrew its controversial proposal to organize reality and animation writers, but joined the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in announcing today that both sides will talk again — but likely with more players present. Just don't expect any more (official) updates because both sides are going to try to stay mum (good luck with that). Here's the statement: "On Wednesday, Jan. 23, the WGA and the AMPTP will begin informal discussions to determine if there is a basis for both parties to return to formal negotiations. Both the AMPTP and the WGA have agreed to make no public comments about the informal discussions until those discussions have concluded."

Talks between two sides broke off on Dec. 7, primarily over the WGA's proposal to organize reality and animation writers. The AMPTP refused to negotiate unless that proposal was off the table. The WGA responded by accusing the AMPTP of giving endless ultimatums and filing a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board that accused the AMPTP of refusing to bargain in good faith. The complaint is still pending.

WGA says it won't picket the Grammys

The board of the Writers Guild of America West has decided that the WGA will not picket the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, set for Feb. 10 in Los Angeles. The decision means that the handful of musicians who also carry Screen Actors Guild cards will be able to attend the ceremony without the fear of crossing picket lines.

In response, Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow issued a statement saying, "We are pleased with the decision made by the WGA today. In light of this, we are gratified that the 50th Annual Grammy Awards will focus solely on the great music, artists and charitable work resulting from our show. We look forward to unveiling the exciting lineup of artists who will give our worldwide audience one of the most memorable Grammy shows ever." For its part, CBS, which airs the Grammys, said in statement that, "This is very welcome news. We appreciate the WGA's consideration in this matter. The Recording Academy has put tremendous effort and planning into this 50th anniversary event. It's a big night of entertainment for television audiences, and an important event for music artists and everyone in the music business."

Meanwhile, the WGA has not yet ruled on the Recording Academy's request for an interim agreement, which would allow the Grammys to hire writers to help script the show, although the festivities could go on without writers if the WGA plays hardball on that front.

Informal talks to begin between WGA, studio moguls

Is this the beginning of the end? A source close to the conglomerates confirmed today that two moguls — possibly Fox CEO Peter Chernin and Disney CEO Bob Iger — will meet with key Writers Guild of America reps in hopes of bringing an end to the nearly three-month old labor dispute. Today's talks come after a weekend full of back-channel discussions between the moguls and WGA power hitters after the DGA closed a three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Thursday. "This is all patterned after the DGA negotiations," the source said about today's meeting, "in which smaller groups held informal talks to try to break the logjam on key issues and set a framework for formal negotiations."

If the blogosphere is any indication, a major sticking point could involve "ad-supported streaming," i.e. the amount of money the writers generate when their shows run on the network websites. The DGA agreed to a deal that would pay them up to $1,200 for streaming a drama over 12 months, a residual that kicks in only after the network is allowed to debut the series for free on its website for up to three weeks. WGA strike captain Alfredo Barrios complained about that structure on UnitedHollywood.com. "As TV reruns become Internet reruns — and as anyone who owns a computer can attest, it's happening now — our residual payments are obliterated," Barrios stated, "That's why this proposal is characterized by many as a massive rollback. Remember, this is what we were fighting to avoid."

Strike panel sparks talk at Sundance

In Park City this morning, attorney Jonathan Handel, Writers Guild of America member Howard Rodman, and Screen Actors Gulid member Jason Stuart were on hand for a panel at Queer Lounge to discuss the ongoing WGA strike and what the Directors Guild of America's deal means for the current "informal talks" between the writers and producers. They batted around a lot of numbers and gave some background on the he said/she said aspect of the negotiations: It seems as if the main sticking points between the WGA and AMPTP are new media and reality TV. So during the Q&A portion of the panel, the Hollywood Insider asked, "If the AMPTP makes a reasonable compromise on new media, what's the probability that reality TV will be taken off of the table?" After the jump, their responses.

Writers and producers in ''informal talks''

A letter from the WGA was sent out to its membership yesterday — and in media speak, talk about burying the lead. Four paragraphs into the letter, there are three very important sentences: "For more than a month we have been urging the media conglomerates to return to the table and bargain in good faith.  Now that negotiations with the DGA are finished, the AMPTP has reached out to us to begin informal talks. We are committed to moving the process forward to achieve the best contract possible."

It's unclear which side made the concession — but it could mean that we are one step closer to seeing Tina Fey order meatball sandwiches with extra bread again. But be patient: It could be a couple more weeks at least before the writers have a chance to study the tentative DGA deal and decide whether they can abide by similar terms.

Do writers deserve credit for DGA deal?

The Directors Guild of America has certainly earned the right to preen over having carved out a historic new agreement with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers. But do the writers deserve some of the credit for helping the directors get what they want out of their new three-year deal? Some writers are asking whether their crippling 11-week strike provided the necessary level of urgency to convince studio honchos Peter Chernin and Bob Iger to become more intimately involved in the DGA talks -- something the moguls didn't do when the WGA first sat down with the AMPTP in November. That duo's presence certainly helped cooler heads prevail in the DGA negotiating room, marking a stark contrast to the routine clashes that occurred between the chief negotiators of the AMPTP and the WGA (Nick Counter and David Young) before their talks broke off Dec. 7.

Still, the DGA deserves a tremendous pat on the back for having achieved a swift resolution, says one high-placed source at the conglomerates. For one, the DGA prepared for the talks by commissioning a two-year study on new media that ultimately helped pave the way for negotiating some of the stickier issues, like new residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the Internet. The DGA also benefitted from the strong, longterm ties that negotiating committee member Gil Cates has with the companies.

Now it appears Chernin and Iger may play an equally active role in the WGA negotiations. In a joint statement released Thursday, the moguls - along with six other CEOs - seemed to indicate their role will change by saying "we invite the WGA to engage with us in a series of informal discussions similar to the productive process that led us to a deal with the DGA to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for returning to formal bargaining."

Beyonce, Foo Fighters band together for Grammys

The Recording Academy released a statement today on behalf of the "music community" addressing speculation of who may or may not perform at the Grammys should the WGA decide not to sign an interim agreement for the show. The Foo Fighters, as previously reported, were the only act confirmed to play, and indeed, singer Dave Grohl says his band will be at the Feb. 10 ceremony. As for Beyoncé, her father/manager Matthew Knowles is quoted in the press release saying, "Beyoncé, as well as my other artists Solange and Trinitee 5:7, have been asked to participate and will do so. We have an incredible Beyoncé performance that will be announced soon. We wish the Grammys the best."

The full release after the jump.

Doug Liman forms WGA-approved new media company

Producer-director Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) has a formed a new media company that will create "television-style programming for alternative distribution." The new company, Jackson Bites (named after Liman's 11-year-old sheep dog), has already secured an agreement with the Writers Guild of America, enabling union members to write, develop, and create programming for distribution on the Internet, set-top boxes, cell phones and other wireless devices, and via direct deals with satellite networks and cable companies. The deal with the WGA is described as being similar to the writers' deals with United Artists, Worldwide Pants, the Weinstein Company, MRC, and Spyglass Entertainment.

"If the last strike is best remembered for the studios attempting to show they could create programming without writers, this could be the strike where the writers show they can do it without the studios,” Liman said via a statement. “We are at a moment of opportunity in television where we have gone from three networks to six, and from a handful of channels to a thousand and YouTube. In that environment, what matters is compelling programming –- and compelling programming starts with the writer. Jackson Bites will afford writers the opportunity to create content that will be seen and enjoyed by audiences with or without the involvement of the television networks.”

Liman will not direct or produce any of Jackson Bites' content. His next directorial project, a film adaptation of Steven Gould's sci-fi novel Jumper, is set for release next month.

Report from the picket line: WGAE's Michael Winship and Amy Sherman-Palladino

Despite reports of dissension among members of the Writers Guild of America, (not to mention overall strike fatigue), many scribes at the WGA East picket line yesterday still seem spirited -- and hellbent on doing whatever it takes (read: picketing in really cold weather) to get a good deal. Hollywood Insider caught up with WGA East president Michael Winship (pictured), director-writer-producer Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls), and newbie writer Jim Juvonen (The Philathropist) to see what they had to say about where things stand.

The interviews after the jump.

Grammys expected to go on with Amy Winehouse, Beyonce

The Hollywood Insider has confirmed that troubled singer Amy Winehouse (pictured, left) plans to appear at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 10. She's nominated for six statuettes, but there had been concern that her legal woes would prevent the Brit from obtaining a visa to enter the U.S. That tangle seems to have been worked out, but it's still unknown whether she'll perform.

The Grammys have bigger issues to deal with, anyway. Putting together this year's half-centennial bash has become particularly thorny, thanks to — what else? — the writers strike. The Golden Globes were reduced to a press conference because of the strike, but the Recording Academy insists that, regardless of WGA approval, it's forging ahead with the ceremony.

'Justice League' grounded

Warner Bros. confirmed Wednesday that it won't be able to get the George Miller-directed Justice League of America off the ground in time for a spring start. As reported here last week, the studio had until Jan. 15 to decide whether the multi-superhero tentpole would begin production in hopes a summer 2009 release. But script issues and production tax complications have forced the studio to push things back until the writers' strike (and expected actors' strike) are over. The studio is still committed to the young cast Miller has selected (including Adam Brody as Flash and the unknown Megan Gale as Wonder Woman) and hopes to make the movie with them at a later date.

Oscars: WGA not ready to smile and waive

Besieged with press inquiries about whether the Writers Guild of America will block the Feb. 24 Oscars telecast, WGA spokesman Gregg Mitchell announced late Wednesday that the union has yet to grant the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences an interim agreement so the kudocast could air without the threat of picketing. Pressed about the statement, Mitchell said the union could still make a deal later with AMPAS. Such a deal would keep the placard-waiving writers away, allowing stars to attend the ceremony without crossing a picket line. ABC, which broadcasts the Oscars, continues to insist the show will go on.

Could a splinter group of writers end the strike?

A splinter group of 30-plus writer/producers and second-tier showrunners hoping to influence how and when the ongoing writers' strike ends met with some members of the Writers Guild of America's negotiating committee earlier this week, according to one knowledgeable source. The group was trying to convince the committee to seriously consider whatever deal the Directors Guild of America gets from the Alliance of Motion Pictures & Television Producers before shooting it down. If writers adopt most of the proposals agreed upon between the DGA and conglomerates (a deal between the two sides could be announced any day now), it would effectively end the protracted dispute. However, WGA West president Patric Verrone could also opt to reject the DGA's deal and encourage the WGA membership to continue fighting. The writer/producers in the splinter group are trying to avoid the latter scenario, says the source, and are even threatening to demonstrate their frustration with the guild by going "financial core," a status that allows them remain in the union and continue working, while forfeiting their right to vote and participate in union activities. A handful of scribes have already gone fi-core since the strike began Nov. 5, though they largely work on daytime dramas.

One high-powered agent who represents many writers whose deals were dropped by the major studios this last week predicts "a civil war" if the WGA does not act swiftly after the DGA reaches an agreement. A WGA spokesman issued this response today: "The WGA will closely consider any deal the DGA reaches with the conglomerates."

WGA East says writers will picket Grammys if no deal is reached

Yesterday, the Recording Academy announced that it had requested an interim agreement from the WGA so that the Grammy Awards could go on as planned on CBS Feb. 10. Though the verdict on that is still out, WGA East president Michael Winship told the Hollywood Insider today that writers would picket the ceremony should the WGA deny the Recording Academy's request for an independent deal. "I haven't had a chance to talk to the West Coast, so I don't know what their position is on that yet," he said. "We will picket [the CBS broadcast] if there is not a deal. SAG would ask its members, as they did with the Golden Globes, to not cross the picket line. And I would hope the American Federation of Musicians would do the same." A WGA West spokesman has said no decision has been made yet to picket the Grammys.

Grammy Awards seek interim agreement with WGA

After days of speculation as to whether the show will indeed go on, we still don't have a definitive answer, but the Grammy Awards look one step closer to finding resolution in the face of potential picketing by the on-strike Writers Guild of America. Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy, today announced that the organization has requested an interim agreement from the WGA for the Feb. 10 telecast and that preparations "remain in full-swing." Should that agreement happen, it would mean that high-profile actor-musicians like Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, and Jack White would be able to attend the show without fear of crossing picket lines.

Citing the Recording Academy's longstanding support of unions and musicians' rights, Portnow also declared a would-be coalition with AFTRA and AFM. "The Academy is pleased and gratified that AFTRA and AFM, the two unions that have long been the only ones with jurisdiction and representation of the musical talent on the show, stand alongside us in our efforts to present the 50th Annual Grammy Awards at a level that millions of music fans around the world expect and deserve," Portnow said in the statement, adding that he "remains hopeful that there will be a quick and positive response" by the WGA to "fully support the offer of the producer, Cossette Productions, to immediately execute an interim agreement under the same terms as those arrangements signed by the WGA with David Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants (airing on the same network as the Grammy telecast) as well as other companies."

Writers won't picket NAACP Image Awards on Fox

The Writers Guild of America announced on Tuesday that it has granted an interim agreement that will allow the 39th Annual NAACP Image Awards to air live on Fox Feb. 14. The pact permits the Image Awards to hire scribes to write the show's script, and it also means that no picketing will occur outside the Shrine Auditorium, where the ceremony will be held. This is a reversal of sorts from the decision the WGA made regarding Dick Clark Productions and the Golden Globes: DCP, which usually produces the Golden Globes for NBC, had requested a similar agreement from the WGA, so that the Globes could have aired without the fear of picket lines, but the union denied its request.

Writers' deals slashed at TV studios

All it took was one studio leading the charge. After ABC Studios cut about 12 writers from its roster on Friday because of the ongoing labor dispute, three more TV studios jumped on the bandwagon today by dropping pricey overall deals. About five scribes were cut by Warner Bros. TV, according to one insider, while another source says that 20th Century Fox TV released around 15 writers. CBS/Paramount dropped an unknown number of writers, as well. A good portion of the deals involved writers who recently had their shows canceled by the networks. Obviously, hitmakers like CSI exec producer Carol Mendelsohn and Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry were unaffected by this latest round of cuts. Explains a WBTV spokeswoman about that studio's cuts: "As an unfortunate but direct consequence of the strike, we have been forced to release some of the valued members of our roster from their development deals."

In response, a WGA spokesman released this statement: "The companies are making a terrible mistake by alienating the very creative force that has made entertainment one of the most successful businesses in the country. We are ready and willing to negotiate a fair deal that will put the town back to work, but we can't do it on our own. The big media companies must come back to the table with the will to make an agreement."

WGA and MRC announce interim agreement

You gotta love the entrepreneurial nature of this business. First Tom Cruise's nascent production company announces a deal with the Writers Guild of America, turning on a veritable screenwriters' spigot that poured out thousands of scripts for United Artists, which Cruise co-runs with Paula Wagner. Then The Weinstein Co., which has had its own fair share of turbulence since splitting from Walt Disney, signs a deal. And now, Media Rights Capital, a burgeoning company — they like to be called a "mini-studio" but are best known for the $40 million deal they struck with Universal for Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming Bruno feature — has inked an independent agreement with the WGA. The deal is similar to the ones signed by UA and David Letterman's Worldwide Pants and will enable the company to continue putting projects together for clients such as Cohen, Seth MacFarlane, and director Richard Kelly.

What is unique about the timing of this deal is that MRC has three projects in the works that will be distributed by Warner Bros. Production has already begun on Kelly's The Box, starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden, and now Robert Rodriguez's family film Shorts and Ricky Gervais' This Side of the Truth, starring Jennifer Garner, can get back to work with writers on board. Both movies are fully-financed MRC films, but as distributor, Warner Bros. — an AMPTP member — will also reap the benefits from MRC's deal with the WGA.

Golden Globes mess gets even messier

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced on Friday that NBC would no longer have the exclusive rights to broadcast Sunday's Golden Globes press conference and that the event would be open to all media. This latest change of plans will be a boon to cable nets like E!, CNN, and TV Guide Channel, which can now air the press conference live. The Writers Guild of America, which some suspected would still picket the press conference, announced that it will not protest the event now.

The Globes ceremony was scrapped earlier this week when the Screen Actors Guild vowed to boycott the show because the Writers Guild of America planned to picket the event. After NBC decided to turn the event into an NBC News sponsored press conference, Dick Clark Productions, which was contracted to produce the event for NBC on behalf of the HFPA, backed out. NBC News had planned to air the one-hour press conference, with hosting help from Access Hollywood anchors Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell, following a two-hour Dateline special.

But the HFPA, according to one insider familiar with the talks, had growing concerns over how the event was turning into a promotional ploy for NBC's Access Hollywood. Dick Clark Prods. wasn't happy either. According to this insider, NBC's 11th-hour decision to turn the Globes into a press conference was irksome to Dick Clark Prods. because the production company had been led to believe that the network would bow out of the telecast completely.

AMPTP and DGA to begin official negotiations tomorrow

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Directors Guild of America just announced that they would enter into formal contract negotiations tomorrow. "The DGA and the AMPTP have agreed that neither organization will comment to the press regarding negotiations until negotiations have concluded," the joint statement read. If both sides cut a deal, it could prompt the WGA and producers to end their five week standoff and get back to the negotiating table as well.

SAG president Alan Rosenberg talks writers strike

As a TV actor (Civil Wars, L.A. Law, Chicago Hope), Alan Rosenberg has been appointed to provide legal counsel to some pretty important fictional people. But now, at a time when the writers' strike has virtually shut down Hollywood (and even the Ari Golds of the real world are taking pay-cuts to soften the blow), Rosenberg is president of one of the most influential organizations in all of show biz: the Screen Actor’s Guild. Because of SAG’s power, Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards -- which will take place without the nominees present  because they would not cross the WGA picket line -- could be more unpleasant than watching a fat guy rub his golden globes all over Sacha Baron Cohen. And the Oscars could see the same fate next month if a the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can't figure out a way around the ongoing strike. EW.com spoke with SAG prez Rosenberg about the status of the writers' strike and his own guild’s imminent negotiations this summer.

HOLLYWOOD INSIDER: SAG has been nothing but supportive of the WGA, so we’re wondering what the strategy is behind that and how that works out for you?
ALAN ROSENBERG: For the first time in many years, we’ve been strategizing together. For a long time, since the AMPTP has been the bargaining unit for the employers, we’ve sort of been warned off in talking to each other and strategizing together even though it’s been anticipated that we’d be tied to each other and the results of our negotiations. And so it’s been great. [WGA West president] Patric Verrone and I for months before the negotiations [and strike] started visiting sets together, talking to writers and actors and showrunners together, and that was unprecedented. It created a real camaraderie. And the reason this all exists is because we don’t only do this in support of the writers -- the issues are the same. We really see this fight as our fight. Although we support all labor unions, this is a little bit in self-interest as well. If [the writers] arrive at a fair deal, then hopefully [SAG] won’t have to do this again in June.

That said, there are talks that the Directors Guild of America is planning negotiations soon. Are all three guilds unified as far as you're concerned? And how would DGA talks now benefit SAG?
Well, all three guilds are united in the sense that we have a lot of joint cardholders. I’m DGA myself, and our concerns are the same, and like I said, we are often tied together in the results of our negotiations. Although these negotiations are different this year for a reason: the Writer’s Guild and the Director’s Guild don’t have our proxy. We are always careful to point out that if they arrive at a fair deal, that’d be fantastic for us, but if they don’t arrive at deals that are satisfactory to us, we still have a lot of work to do in June when our contract is up.   

Weinstein Co. makes interim deal with WGA

The Weinstein Company has agreed to an independent deal with the striking Writers Guild of America, Hollywood Insider has learned. The interim deal, which is similar to the agreement between the WGA and David Letterman's Worldwide Pants, should be announced later today. Weinstein joins United Artists as the second film company to come to an agreement with the WGA that enables writers to resume work on the studio's movie projects. Check back as the story develops. —Nicole Sperling

Globes, Oscars: The cost of cancellation

Hollywood Insider spoke this morning with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation's chief economist Jack Kyser, who explained how the ongoing writers' strike, the resulting cancellation of the Golden Globes, and the prospect of a year without the Academy Awards impacts those who count on Hollywood for a paycheck.

HOLLYWOOD INSIDER: What kind of an impact is the cancellation of the Golden Globes going to have on the local economy, and what will happen if the Academy Awards are canceled?
JACK KYSER: What we’re looking at is an economic impact from the Golden Globes of about $70 to $80 million each time the event is held, and with the cancellation, there’s probably a lot of people looking at refund policies, because the production costs were already spent with a lot of people planning on parties.

And the parties account for a big piece of the pie?
Oh yeah. It’s a huge impact. We count at least five parties that have been canceled, and that comes to about $2.5 million. And the pain is being spread to a lot of unexpected sectors of the economy. For example, the banquet staff at the hotel: They won’t be working that night, won’t be earning money in tips. The people that would be working the parties, the same situation. So you’ve got that impact.

Do you know which parties have been canceled?
NBC-Universal, HBO, Warner Bros-In-Style, The Weinstein Company, and Fox-Searchlight.

Even for the smaller parties that are going on, I would imagine stars aren’t going to be really excited about them without the big star-studded event.
Oh yeah. This is not going to be something that people want to watch. As somebody said, watching a press conference is almost like watching paint dry.

And 'Justice' for none?

Holy work-stoppage, Batman! The ongoing WGA strike now has Warner Bros.' superhero bonanza Justice League of America in its crosshairs. A source tells Hollywood Insider that filmmakers would like another script rewrite and are now debating whether to begin shooting without one. The studio has a Jan. 15 deadline to either greenlight League for a spring production start -- meaning a summer '09 release -- or push it into the post-strike ether. (Warner Bros. had no comment.) All seven superheroes have been cast -- among them, Adam Brody, according to one report -- but it remains to be seen whether they'll get to fly this year.

Globes down, but what about the Oscars?

Though the striking Writers Guild of America was able to successfully put the kibosh on the 65th Annual Golden Globes this year (by threatening a picket line that the Screen Actors Guild said it would not cross), Academy Awards executive producer Gil Cates insists that the Oscars, which are slated for Feb. 24, won't meet the same fate. “The show is going on,” Cates says. “I'm looking forward to it. We're on schedule and, Hallelujah, I can't wait until the 24th.”

Nevertheless, the uncertainty is making Madison Ave. antsy. “[The Oscar telecast] is something that advertisers count on as a launch pad, to introduce their products to a big audience,” says Bob Bernstein, chief media officer of Draftcb ad agency. “This is the biggest and most consistent TV property of the year behind the Super Bowl.” Last year, ABC, which has long broadcast the awards, sold 30-second Oscar spots for a reported $1.6 million each. This year, the network has pre-sold the spots at an even higher rate, according to an informed source, and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. estimates that a Globes-like scale-back of the Oscars could cost Hollywood's local economy $130 million.

At this point, it seems unlikely that ABC and the Academy will actually make the unprecedented decision to cancel the Oscar telecast for the first time in history. However, the Oscars could look wildly different if no one's writing words for anyone to speak. “I don't know how they're going to do it,” says longtime Oscar writer Bruce Vilanch. “It would be weird.”

Of course, the striking WGA and AMPTP could come to a resolution before next month, making the whole discussion moot. Unfortunately, with no new talks scheduled and the war of words between the two sides growing increasingly heated, no one is holding their breath for that rosy outcome.

(Additional reporting by Mike Bruno.)

Despite rumors, still no DGA-AMPTP talks scheduled

Despite reports and speculation that the Directors Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers would begin negotiations today, a DGA rep confirms that talks have not begun, nor has a date been scheduled. The rep says that eventually a date "will be announced with a press release." That said, it's been widely reported that the two sides are talking unofficially behind closed doors to work out a framework for talks. Presumably, the DGA is being careful about setting negotiations in motion, given the implications that extend beyond their own talks — namely that a quick deal between the DGA and AMPTP could negate the striking WGA’s efforts if it sets a precedent for residuals that is less than what writers are aiming for. 

The Golden Globes are off!

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has finally announced that this Sunday's Golden Globe telecast on NBC and champagne-soaked dinner are now canceled. In their place will be an hour-long HFPA press conference covered live by NBC News beginning at 6:00 PST. "We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007’s outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television,” said Jorge Camara, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. “We take some comfort, however, in knowing that this year’s Golden Globe Award recipients will be announced on the date originally scheduled.”

Lionsgate or Weinstein could be next to negotiate with the WGA

Now that United Artists has reached an independent agreement with the WGA that allows screenwriters to go back to work for the studio, Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner's fledgling movie company has a slew of out-of-work writers potentially at its disposal. So, which studio will negotiate next? The Weinstein Co. received a proposal from the WGA around Christmas but has not yet begun any negotiations with the guild. In fact, it looks like Harvey and Bob Weinstein are playing a chicken game with fellow indie studio Lionsgate. Sources tell the Hollywood Insider that both companies are waiting for the other to make a deal, though Lionsgate has not received a proposal directly from the WGA. What is clear is neither studio seems all that eager to make a deal, preferring the AMPTP to handle those negotiations.

Of course, the AMPTP isn't too keen on these deals either. They released the following statement today in response to UA's agreement with the WGA: "One-off deals do nothing to bring the WGA closer to a permanent solution for working writers. These interim agreements are sideshows and mean only that some writers will be employed at the same time other writers will be picketing. In the end, until the people in charge at WGA decide to focus on the main event rather than these sideshows, the economic harm being caused by the strike will continue."

Golden Globes: Will the show go on?

As Hollywood awaits with bated breath to hear how NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will proceed with the Golden Globes on Jan. 13, rumors are rampant that the Peacock is on the verge of announcing some sort of unique programming strategy that will allow them to broadcast something associated with the annual kudofest -- just not the actual ceremony from the Beverly Hilton ballroom, the one that actors have vowed to boycott if the WGA pickets. One scenario making the rounds is that NBC will make a night of it by airing a special Dateline at 7 p.m., followed by a retrospective on past Globes ceremonies at 8 p.m., and then a live press conference at 9 p.m. announcing the winners. The night would end with special programming from Access Hollywood and its coverage of the Globe parties -- assuming there will be any. Developing....

'Dexter' to air on CBS starting Feb. 17

In a significant move designed to further strike-proof its schedule, CBS will begin airing repeats of Showtime's cult hit fave Dexter on Feb. 17. The show just wrapped its second season on the CBS-owned premium cable network. The Eye says it will edit the first season of the series -- a graphic drama starring Michael C. Hall (pictured, far left, with C.S. Lee) as a forensics expert who moonlights as a serial killer -- for broadcast at 10 p.m. Sundays. By opting to air 12 episodes of Dexter, CBS will become the first broadcast network to program an entire season of a premium cable series.

There has been speculation for some time that CBS would call up one of Showtime's buzzworthy shows to help fill the void on its schedule while the strike looms large. Dexter, with its roots in the crime world, made the most sense for the network home to the CSI franchise, Cold Case, NUMB3RS and Criminal Minds. On the other hand, Weeds, though an award-winning critical fave, could be difficult for the Eye to air because some viewers have suggested that the drama about a suburban drug dealing mom promotes marijuana use.

Leno, Kimmel to appear on each other's shows

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel will appear on NBC's The Tonight Show on Jan. 10, followed by an appearance by Leno on Kimmel Live later that night, according to a joint statement released by the networks this morning. In the statement, Leno said, "There are only a few people in the world who know how tough this job is. Jimmy is one of them. It will be fun to discuss who's a good guest, who's a difficult guest and everything else that comes with sitting behind these desks." Added Kimmel, "If Jay and I can come together and guest on each other's shows, then surely there is hope for peace in the Middle East."

The pairing of the two hosts is rather odd, given how both men work for competing networks (though their shows air in different time slots and appeal to different demographics). What's more, Kimmel has never been the biggest Leno supporter; he's always been quicker to champion Letterman's brand of comedy and has been known to take pot shots at the NBC host. But Kimmel and Leno have reportedly become confidantes of late, an apparent act of solidarity for the two hosts who, unlike CBS' late night stars, returned to the air Jan. 2 without their writers in tow, forcing both to come up with their own material.

Leno came under fire by the WGA for writing his own monologue upon returning with the Tonight Show. The WGA claims his actions were a violation of strike rules; NBC maintains that Leno was within his rights per the network's collective agreement with the union.

Golden Globes: It's official. Actors won't show

NBC is maintaining that the show will go on January 13, but it looks like the Golden Globes will feature few, if any, of the movie and TV stars that make it worth watching. The major public relations firms that promote Hollywood's elite are releasing the following statement:

"We represent the vast majority of the 2008 Golden Globe nominees and many of the actors who have been invited to appear as presenters on the Jan. 13 broadcast. After much discussion by our clients, we have concluded unanimously that the actors we represent WILL NOT cross the picket line out of respect for the WGA membership. Our clients are extremely grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press and would love the opportunity to be recognized for their work but will only do so in the event that NBC and Dick Clark Productions reach an interim agreement with the WGA for the Golden Globes."

It is signed by companies 42 West, BWR, IDPR, Imagine Management, Patricola Lust, PMK/HBH, Seltzer and Associations, Stan Rosenfeld PR, Wolf Kasteler, BNC, and True Public Relations.

Given this development, it seems doubtful that NBC will broadcast the Globes, but stranger things have happened: During the 1980 actors' strike, NBC aired the 32nd annual Emmys with just one winner present: Powers Boothe.

NBC insists it still intends to broadcast the Globes, and that means the WGA still intends to picket. "We have no indication that Golden Globes will not be televised," said WGA spokesperson Jeffery Hermanson. "We are proceeding with our plans to picket, and we expect a large number of writers and many actors to be on the picket lines outside the Beverly Hilton on January 13."

All of that, of course, presents the HFPA with a very big problem: How do you produce a show celebrating Hollywood if no stars show up? "The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has been placed in an extremely difficult position with the ongoing Writers Guild strike," said HFPA president Jorge Camara in a statement released late Friday afternoon. "We are making every effort to work out a solution that will permit the Golden Globes to take place with the creative community present to participate. We hope to announce a resolution to this unfortunate predicament on Monday."

Additional reporting by Lynette Rice

WGA upset with Jay Leno for writing his own jokes

Though his Tonight Show monologue was irreverent, topical, and clearly strong enough to help him win the night in viewers (7.19 million versus The Late Show With David Letterman's 5.5 million), Jay Leno's jokes on his first show back didn't sit too well with the Writers Guild of America. Today, the union issued a statement saying that it talked with Leno to "clarify that writing for The Tonight Show constitutes a violation of the Guild's strike rules."

Leno, who is a member of the WGA, admitted on camera last night that he wrote his own jokes. (Sample: He compared the amount of money lost in the writers strike to what Paul McCartney could lose in a divorce. He also quipped about how the public relies on him to get the latest news about Britney Spears.) What's more, it was clear during the telecast that Leno was reading from cue cards. The WGA has instituted a "pencils down means pencils down" policy for all of its members during the strike, now in its third month.

NBC issued its own statement disagreeing with the WGA's assessment of Leno's performance last night. "The WGA agreement permits Jay Leno to write his own monologue for The Tonight Show. The WGA is not permitted to implement rules that conflict with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the studio and the WGA."

Leno was one of the first celebrities to show solidarity for the strike that began Nov. 5 by joining the writers on the picket line. He said in his monologue last night that he needed to go back on the air "because we have essentially 19 [writers] putting 160 [crew] people out of work."

In return, Leno beats Letterman and posts season highs

Seems it didn't matter that Jay Leno had to make a go of it alone without his writers. Last night's first original episode of The Tonight Show attracted 7.19 million viewers, enough to beat The Late Show With David Letterman (5.5 million) and to give Leno a season-high performance. It was also the best turnout for Leno on a Wednesday in nearly four years and helped to boost Conan O'Brien's return; he, too, drew a season-best audience (2.84 million) despite having no writers to provide him with some clever bon mots. Leno opened his show with a monologue that he admitted he wrote himself, while O'Brien made a few strike jokes and spun his wedding ring on his desk to illustrate life without his comedy scribes.

Still, Letterman was hardly the slouch: The Late Show also posted season-high numbers, as did Craig Ferguson's The Late Late Show (2.24 million). But both programs were no match for NBC's — despite having their writers in tow thanks to an agreement made between Letterman's Worldwide Pants and the WGA. In fact, Letterman almost behaved like he was speaking off the cuff without a script from the writers; his laid-back demeanor suggested he was improvising the opening segment, as he spoke fondly of a Christmas moment with his 4-year-old son.

Leno, Conan return: deliver monologues without writers, joke about strike

Back after a nine-week hiatus because of the writers' strike, Jay Leno didn't waste any time during his Tonight Show monologue Wednesday before making a joke about the ongoing labor dispute and the lack of writers helping him out with the show. "Folks, let's get right to it. A Jew, a Christian, and a muslim walk into a bar. The Jew says to the Muslim...see I have no idea what they say because there's a writer's strike. We don't know what they say.

"As you know, we are in the middle of this writers' strike here in Hollywood. It's already cost the town over a half billion dollars. Five hundred million dollars! Or as Paul McCartney calls that, `a divorce.'"

Leno's monologue, which he admitted to writing himself with a little help from his wife, included various explanations for why he resumed production today. "We had to come back because we have essentially 19 [writers] putting 160 [crew] people out of work." He also said the public relies on his show for information they may not normally glean from the mainstream media. "For example, did you know that just three weeks ago, Idaho Senator Larry Craig married Britney Spears? Did you know that?'" he joked. "See, no one knew! This is the only place you will find that out."

Over at Late Night, Conan O'Brien joked about how the ongoing strike has forced Americans to "read books and occasionally even speak to one another" while leaving his show in the lurch when it comes to his more popular features. "My biggest wish is that they get a great deal very quickly and get back here because we desperately need them on the show.  Think about it: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, The Masturbating Bear, The Walker Texas Ranger Lever – it's all writing.  Well, not the Masturbating Bear.  That's just instinct. "